Alvarado N, et al.
, J Food Sci Nutr 2018, 4: 036
HSOA Journal of
Food Science and Nutrition
Research Article
Improvement of Physicochemical
Properties of Starch Films by
Blending it with Poly
(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone)
Nancy Alvarado1,3, José Urdaneta2, Julio R Romero
Figueroa1*, Carol López de Dicastillo2, Mathias Schmidt4,
María José Galotto2 and Abel Guarda2
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago, Santiago,
1 • Obtaining compatible polymer blends of thermoplastic Starch
Chile
Laboratory of Food Packaging, University of Santiago, Center for the
2
Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Santiago, Chile
Institute of Applied Chemical Sciences, Autonomous University of Chile,
3
Santiago, Chile
Department of Physics and Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of
4
Chile, Santiago, Chile
Abstract
Polymer starch-based blends were developed between Starch
(St) and Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone) (PVP). The starch was ob-
tained by extraction from Peruvian yuca (Manihot esculenta), known
as sweet corn starch. The films were obtained through the casting
method. The thermoplastic starch films were formed through the in-
corporation of glycerol at 20% wt. The concentrations of PVP incor-
porated in the polymer blend were equal to 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%
(wt). Thus, this work aims to understand the interactions, structure
and physical properties of the obtained polymer blend films, includ-
ing the study of their barrier properties. The films obtained through
*Corresponding author: Julio R Romero Figueroa, Department of Chemical En-
gineering, University of Santiago, Santiago, Chile, Tel: +56 227181821; E-mail:
julio.romero@usach.cl
Citation: Alvarado N, Urdaneta J, Figueroa JRR, de Dicastillo CL, Schmidt M,
et al. (2018) Improvement of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Films by
Blending it with Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone). J Food Sci Nut 4: 036.
Received: August 17, 2018; Accepted: September 17, 2018; Published: Oc-
tober 01, 2018
Copyright: © 2018 Alvarado N, et al., This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits un-
restricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
author and source are credited.
DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100036
the St-PVP blends show remarkable improvements upon mechani-
cal and barrier properties, and they represent a highly resistant ma-
terial with low oxygen permeability. The blends were compatibles
between them in the whole range of concentration studied in this
work.
Keywords: Improvement of mechanical properties; Peruvian yuca;
Polymer blends; Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone); Starch
Highlights
(St) and Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone) (PVP) and developing their
films in different ratios.
• The mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of the St films were
improved through PVP incorporation inside the starch ma­trix.
Introduction
Over the past years, the world’s production of plastics has grown
steadily. Nowadays, the production of these materials is being esti-
mated to exceed 300 million tons, whereas packaging, considered
as the largest market for the plastics industry, represents about the
39.6% of the total demand for plastics. The polymers commonly used
in commercial applications are derived from non-renewable sourc-
es and are associated with environmental pollution problems [1].
Taking into account the fact that today’s consumers demand higher
food quality and environmentally-friendly packaging materials with
greater recyclability, there is a significantly growing interest in edi-
ble and biodegradable films. These materials are potentially used for
food systems, playing the role of barriers to moisture, oxygen, car-
bon dioxide, lipids, taste and aroma between the food components
and the surrounding atmosphere [2]. Thus, over the last few decades,
there has been relevant progress in the development of biodegradable
packaging materials derived from plant and animal resources, such as
polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and their mixtures. These biopoly-
mers have been used to obtain films and coatings for the packaging of
high quality food stuffs in order to extend their shelf life and to reduce
environmental impact [3]. Among these biopolymers, starch is one of
the most abundant natural biodegradable polymers, and it is the main
storage product for crops, such as wheat, rice, maize, cassava and
potato. This compound is widely used in the food industry as a gelling
agent, thickener or preparation of edible films and coatings [4]. In
general, these polysaccharide films show adequate optical properties,
but poor mechanical characteristics where in the water vapour and
oxygen barriers are highly affected by moisture due to their hydro-
philicity [5]. As a result of the low mechanical resistance and the high
sensitivity to moisture exhibited by starch films, several alternatives
have been investigated with the goal of improving their properties,
such as blending with other polymers, like polyethylene, polyvinyl
alcohol or polylactic acid, as well as reinforcing with nano fillers [6-
9]. The effect of additives as well as the use of different starch sources
and the control of process parameters on the physical properties have
Citation: Alvarado N, Urdaneta J, Figueroa JRR, de Dicastillo CL, Schmidt M, et al. (2018) Improvement of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Films by Blend-
ing it with Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone). J Food Sci Nut 4: 036.
already been reported [10,11]. In this framework, it has been deter-
mined that the physicochemical properties of the starch films vary
widely depending on the botanical origin of the starch, the content
and the type of the plasticizer, as well as the processing conditions
[12]. Specifically, cassava starch presents ideal properties for the for-
mation of films because of its ease of preparation, the clarity of paste,
the low gelatinization temperature and the good gel stability [13].
Furthermore, cassava starch films have been described as odourless,
tasteless, colourless, non-toxic and biodegradable [1]. Previous stud-
ies have already formulated cassava starch-based composite films and
coatings by combining various other polymers. There are previous re-
ports on blends of starch with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) but are not
studies in films [14,15]. PVP has attracted considerable interest due to
its hydrophilicity, lubricity, anti-adhesive property and excellent bio-
compatibility. Furthermore, previous research has already shown that
blends of chitosan and PVP can form a homogeneous phase due to the
strong hydrogen binding forces between these two kinds of molecules
[16,17]. Thus, PVP is proposed in this study as an alternative for the
formulation of starch-based material in order to prepare films with
improved oxygen barrier properties and mechanical resistance [18].
Finally, the variation of the starch/PVP ratio and the film-forming
ability of these polymers were studied for potential applications in
food packaging.
Materials and Methods
Materials
Sweet native corn starch was obtained from Peruvian yuca (Mani-
hot Esculenta) a tuber which was purchased at a local supplier in
Santiago, Chile. Its moisture content was 10% w/w and the amylose
percentage was 16%. This last value was determined by the meth-
od proposed by Takeda and collaborators [19]. Glycerol (Gly) and
Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone) (PVP) were provided by Sigma Aldrich
and their molecular weights were 92,09g/mol and 40,000g/mol, re-
spectively.
Film preparation
Films were produced by means of a casting method. Firstly, the
sweet native corn Starch (St) was extracted as follows: The sample
was washed, peeled and cut into small pieces (1cm3), then mixed with
water in a ratio of 1:4 (St/water), and the mixture was ground for
2 minutes. The supernatant was discarded, and the suspension was
then dried in a hot-air oven at 40°C for 24hrs. Finally, the starch was
crushed and sieved (100μm mesh). For the obtaining of films, the fol-
lowing process was carried out: St was dispersed in aqueous solution
under magnetic stirring and heated until reaching 80°C. Gly was add-
ed in ratio 1:0.2 with respect to starch. The sweet native corn starch
dispersion and PVP solution were prepared at 8% wt. The starch dis-
persion was heated until reaching 80°C and Gly and PVP were added
according to the blend that corresponded. The stirring and tempera-
ture of the blend were maintained at 80°C for 20 minutes. The blends
were then placed in a centrifuge to remove the bubbles at 3000rpm for
3 minutes and placed onto polystyrene petri dishes and left in an oven
at 40°C for 22hrs. The ratios prepared were St-PVP 90-10, 80-20,
70-30 and 60-40. In this work, the abbreviation St represents starch
with glycerol (1:0.2). Starch-based films were conditioned at 25°C
and 53% Relative Humidity (RH), using a Mg(NO3)2 oversaturated
solution for at least 48hrs before every analysis. Starch films contain-
ing PVP were named St-PVP10, St-PVP20, St-PVP30, St-PVP40; the
number corresponds to the percentage of PVP present in each film.
J Food Sci Nutr ISSN: 2470-1076, Open Access Journal
DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100036
• Page 2 of 8 •
Characterization
Structural properties
Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transforms Infrared Spec-
troscopy (ATR-FTIR): Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy
(FTIR) was used to characterize the films. The films were analyzed
in the range from 4000 to 400cm-1, with a resolution of 2cm–1 and 64
scans using a Bruker alpha spectrometer equipped with an attenuat-
ed total reflexion diamond crystal accessory (Bruker, Platinium). The
spectra analyses were performed using Origin Pro 9.0.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): Ultrathin (50-60nm) sec-
tions were cut using a Sorvall MT-IIB ultra-microtome and placed
on a cupper grid (300 mesh). Samples were examined using a Scan-
ning Electron Microscope (SEM) JSM-5410 Jeol (Tokyo, Japan) with
accelerating voltage at 1.0kV. Images were recorded using a CCD
camera Olympus Mega view G2.
Thermal properties
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): Thermal properties of
the films were determined with a Differential Scanning Calorime-
ter Mettler Toledo Model DSC mark 822e (Switzerland). Commer-
cial samples of indium (99.999% purity) with a melting point of
Tm=156.68°C and a melting enthalpy of ΔHm=38.4Jg−1 were used
as calibration standard. Thermo grams were obtained from 25°C to
200°C, cooling to 20°C, and a second heating process to 200°C with
a heating rate equal to 10°Cmin-1. Sample weight was about 8-10mg.
All these experiments were carried out under purge of dry nitrogen.
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) was determined from the second
heating process.
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA): Thermogravimetric Analysis
(TGA) was carried out using a TGA/SDTA 851 Mettler Toledo ther-
mal analyzer (Schwarzenbach, Switzerland). Samples (ca. 9mg) were
heated from 20°C to 600°C at 10°Cmin-1 under nitrogen atmosphere
(flow rate 50mLmin-1) in order to prevent any thermoxidative degra-
dation.
Mechanical properties
Tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus of elasticity for
each material were measured at room temperature with a Zwick Roell
model BDOFB 0.5 TH Tensile Tester, according to ASTM standard
method D-882. Strips (10cm × 2.5cm) of films were cut using a die
cutter and kept at 25°C and 53% RH for 48hrs before the test. These
analyses were carried out with a 1kN load cell. The initial grip separa-
tion was 10cm and the crosshead speed used was 50mmmin-1. Results
are the average of 12 specimens for each nano composite film.
Oxygen permeability determination
The Oxygen Permeability (OP) of the films was determined at
53% RH and 23°C using an OX-TRAN (Model 2/21ML Mocon
Lippke, Neuwied, Germany). The RH value is in agreement with
the treatment for starch films [20,21]. The samples were conditioned
at the relative humidity level of the test in a desiccator using an
Mg(NO3)2 oversaturated solution. Samples were placed in the equip-
ment for analysis, and the transmission values were determined every
20 minutes until reaching the equilibrium condition. The exposure
area during the tests was equal to 50cm2 for each sample. The thick-
ness of the film was considered to estimate the oxygen permeability.
Analyses were carried out in triplicate for each sample.
Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 100036
Citation: Alvarado N, Urdaneta J, Figueroa JRR, de Dicastillo CL, Schmidt M, et al. (2018) Improvement of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Films by Blend-
ing it with Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone). J Food Sci Nut 4: 036.
Swelling and solubility studies for films
The swelling and solubility studies of the films were determined
according to the method described by Yoon [22], with slight modifi-
cations. Starch-PVP films were dried and weighed (Wdry). The films
were immersed into 200mL beakers containing 100mL deionized wa-
ter for 24hrs at room temperature. The samples were removed after
every interval of time (30 minutes, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 24hrs), lightly blot-
ted dry to remove the excess of water and then reweighed (Wswollen).
Swelling Power (SP) was estimated at each time from the equation
(1):
SP (%)=(Wswollen/ Wdry)×100 (1)
After this procedure, swollen films were dried at 40°C in a vac-
uum oven until reaching constant weight (Wgel). The solubility and
gel fraction were calculated according to the equations (2) and (3),
respectively:
Gel fraction (%)=(Wgel/Wdry)×100 (2)
Solubility (%)=[1-(Wgel/Wdry)]×100 (3)
Statistical analysis
A randomized experimental design was considered for the exper-
iments. Data analysis was carried out using StatGraphics Plus 5.1.
This software was used to implement variance analysis and Fisher’s
LSD test. Differences were considered significant at P<0.05.
Results and Discussion
Structural properties
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR): The FT-IR
spectra of the pure components and blends provide additional infor-
mation, which evidences interactions in different systems with more
than one compound, such as polymer blends or nanoparticles con-
tained in a polymer matrix. Specific interactions between components
are readily evident through the band displacements, intensity chang-
es, and broadening of the signals, among others [23-27].
Figure 1 shows the spectra of St, PVP and their blends (St-PVP).
The spectrum of St shows the characteristic bands, which consider
a broad band at 3276cm-1 corresponding to the stretching vibration
band of -OH groups. The band at 292cm−1 belongs to the C-H stretch-
ing vibration and the bands at 1149, 1079 and 1005cm−1 are bands of
C-O stretching vibrations in the anhydroglucose units of starch [28].
The band at 1650cm-1 is typical of water adsorbed in the amorphous
regions of starch [29].
Figure 1: FTIR spectra of St, PVP and St-based developed films.
J Food Sci Nutr ISSN: 2470-1076, Open Access Journal
DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100036
• Page 3 of 8 •
On the other hand, the spectrum of the PVP shows representa-
tive bands like carbonyl stretching at 1647cm-1 and C-N stretching at
1287cm-1. In all these blends (St-PVP) the presence of the carbonyl
band of PVP can be observed, and this is evidence that the blend was
successfully prepared. Moreover, there are displacements in the -OH
band of starch detected in the samples. The -CO band that belongs
to the starch and the -CN band, which corresponds to the PVP, show
displacements in blends with regard to pure compounds. This could
be due to the strong hydrogen bonding interactions between the func-
tional groups of the components.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): Figure 2 shows the scanning
electron microscopy of the cross-section obtained from the starch film
and their blends with PVP. From these images, it is possible to ob-
serve a remarkable difference between them. Figure 2A presents the
cross-section image of the starch film where a smooth surface can be
noticed; with few irregularities and that is free of large imperfections.
These characteristics are explained by the presence of plasticizer used
in the formation of the films. For the film with 10% (wt) of PVP (St-
PVP10), the figure 2B shows a homogeneous and smooth surface,
although different to the observed one in the St film. The incorpora-
tion of PVP in the St matrix changed its structure without a homo-
geneity modification of the film. The rugosity of the film increases
when the incorporation of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) rises to 20% (wt)
(St-PVP20). Figure 2C shows a film with larger imperfections and a
rugose surface. It is even possible to observe two zones, as apparently
there was not a good dispersion of PVP in the starch matrix at this
concentration. Figures 2D and 2E show the blends with 30% and 40%
(wt) of incorporated PVP, respectively. The SEM images show that
the films were more rugose and less homogenous than the starch film.
The increase of PVP content in the films leads to production of more
heterogeneous films with defects present, and a less pliable aspect
than the films with lower PVP content.
Figure 2: SEM images of St and St-based films. A) St; B) St-PVP10; C) St-PVP20;
D) St-PVP30; E) St-PVP40.
Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 100036
Citation: Alvarado N, Urdaneta J, Figueroa JRR, de Dicastillo CL, Schmidt M, et al. (2018) Improvement of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Films by Blend-
ing it with Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone). J Food Sci Nut 4: 036.

• Page 4 of 8 •

Thermal properties for those of pure PVP. This decrease could be justified by the specif-
ic interactions between starch and PVP chains. These intermolecular
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was carried out in order to
interactions break the auto-association in PVP chains improving the
analyze the thermal stability of the films under study. Figure 3 shows
chain mobility, which generates Tg reduction in the studied blends.
the derivative thermo grams obtained. For the starch film, the decom-
position occurred in three stages: The first stage corresponds to water
loss in the range of 100-130°C; the second stage is related to the de- Young’s Modulus Tensile Strength Elongation at
Sample Tg (°C)
composition of the glycerol-rich phase, with the starch also present (N/mm2) (N/mm2) Break (%)

in this stage, that took place at temperatures close to the range 200- St - 2.10± 0.4a 0.63±0.1a 169.0±15.0a

270°C; the third stage occurred at around 330°C, which corresponds
to the decomposition temperature of the starch components. These re-
sults are in good agreement to those reported in the literature for films
based on starch-glycerol [30-32]. The obtained PVP profile shows a
single stage of decomposition. The onset temperature was at 380°C,
while at 450°C the polymer reached its maximum decomposition.
This temperature is coherent with the PVP chemical structure, where
the amide groups are capable of forming intermolecular interactions
such as hydrogen bonds that cause thermal stability of the polymer
[33]. All films under study showed a similar trend, with four stages
of decomposition, three of them corresponding to starch and the last
one to PVP. The decomposition temperature of blends was general-
ly maintained with regard to their pure components. However, for
films with 10% and 20% of PVP (St-PVP10 and St-PVP20), the PVP
decomposition took place at 434°C and at 444°C, respectively. This
decrease could be explained by the interactions between starch and
PVP chains, as in these levels of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentra-
tions there is a higher contact between starch and PVP and therefore
the auto-associations between PVP chains are getting reduced.
Figure 3: DTGA curve obtained for St, PVP and St-based films under nitrogen.
In order to investigate the miscibility of starch and PVP blends,
the samples were assessed by means of DSC analysis. The presence
of a single glass transition Temperature (Tg) in a material constituted
by two or more polymers is the main criterion of miscibility [24,34-
37]. Transparent films were obtained suggesting that phase separation
should not be occurring. The reported data are coming from a second
heating cycle. Table 1 shows the values of Tg from all the studied
samples. The Tg for PVP was observed at 151°C. Especially in this
analysis, the main focus is the variation of the Tg value from PVP in
the analyzed blends. The Tg values obtained from starch-based blends
showed that the Tg values are not the same as those of pure PVP.
This fact indicates the blends compatibility for the whole range of the
studied compositions. This can be seen in table 1, where it shows that
for samples containing PVP, the Tg values were lower than the values or the preparation method of the film, are involved.
St-PVP10 130 14.0±2.0 a
2.4±0.2b
29.0±5.3b
St-PVP20 130 57.0±2.5b
6.5±0.9 c
14.4±1.4c
St-PVP30 137 122.0±10.0 c
9.0±1.5 c
5.0±0.4c
St-PVP40 140 107.0±16.0 c
6.6±1.1d
3.0±0.1c
PVP 151 - - -
Table 1: Tg values and mechanical properties of developed St and St-based films.
Note: Superscript means in each column with different superscript letters are signifi-
cantly different (p<0.05).
Mechanical properties
The results of mechanical tests of starch-based films are reported
in table 1. From these results, it is possible to observe that the incor-
poration of PVP into the St matrix changed the mechanical properties
of the starch. This fact can be detected not only by the Young’s mod-
ulus increase and the tensile strength values, but also by the decrease
of elongation at break values.
The increase in the Young’s modulus and tensile strength values
indicate that the mechanical resistance of the films increases along
with the incorporation of PVP in the starch matrix. This behavior is
associated to the intermolecular interaction between starch and PVP
because of the hydrogen bonding of OH groups from starch and C=O
groups from PVP. This strong association has resulted in a decrease
in the local mobility of the chemical groups involved in the interac-
tion with the hydrogen bonding, which generates rigidity in the final
material. This conduct has been previously reported in literature [18],
with the incorporation of PVP into pectin matrix where an increase of
the mechanical resistance in the final film was observed. Furthermore,
from the results reported in table 1, it can be seen that the St-PVP film
flexibility, in all possible studied ratios, changed through the decrease
of the elongation at break values with regard to the starch film value.
The high value in this parameter for starch film is due to water content
in the starch structure, where the water plays the role of a plasticiz-
er agent, breaking the interaction between amylose and amylopectin
chains and thus improving the mobility of polymer chains. In this
way, the low flexibility values in the films containing PVP could be
explained due to the molecules of water in PVP chains.
Oxygen permeability properties
Table 2 shows the oxygen permeability values obtained for the
films prepared in this work. The films were measured at 23°C and
53% RH and the thickness of these samples was ranged from 240 to
280μm. The permeability was expressed in (cm2m-2day-1) units. In the
performance of the film regarding OP value, certain factors, such as
chemical structure, free volume, crystallinity, cross linking, polarity

Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 100036

J Food Sci Nutr ISSN: 2470-1076, Open Access Journal
DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100036
Citation: Doyle E, Goggin L, Jaiswal AK (2018) An Investigation in the Key Ingredients in Health and Functional Foods. J Food Sci Nut 4: 035.

• Page 5 of 6 •

high solubility of PVP in water and the intermolecular interactions

Sample Films Oxygen Permeability (cm2/m2day) between the two polymers. The physical unions are those that favour
St 38.7±3, 7a the solubility of the material because of its affinity with the solvent,
St-PVP10 4.4±1, 1bc and therefore a smaller gel fraction is obtained (Table 3).
St-PVP20 1.7±0, 2c
St-PVP30 5.5±0, 3b
St-PVP40 1.4±0, 1c

Table 2: Oxygen permeability values obtained for St and St-based films.

Note: Means in each row with different superscript letters are significantly different
(p<0.05).

The OP value for St film is 38.0 (cm2m-2day-1), a value that is in

agreement with previous works [20,38,39]. Table 2 shows the incor-
poration of PVP in a whole range of concentrations studied into the
St matrix, where a drastic decrease in the oxygen permeability values
can be observed. In this sense, the results show agreement with stud-
ies where the films based on biopolymers has generally a lower OP
in comparison to synthetic films [40-43]. For the St-PVP30 film it is
observed an increase in the OP value regarding the other films, this
could be due to defects in the final material, since the general trend is Figure 4: Swelling kinetics of St-PVP films.
that as increase PVP in the film the OP value decreased.

The decrease of OP values can be explained by the nature of the

polymer incorporated into the St matrix. The PVP is a hydrophilic
Sample SP (%) Solubility (%) Gel Fraction (%)
polymer, therefore the film formed has a marked polar trend and con-
St 1200±50a 20.00±0.15a 80.00±0.15a
sequently, regarding these characteristics, the transfer of oxygen mol-
St-PVP10 1800±300b 22.00±1.00b 78.00±2.60a
ecules into the film seems to be limited. Furthermore, the generated
St-PVP20 1700±200b 28.00±1.70c 72.00±1.60b
cross linking, due to the interactions between starch and PVP, mainly
through hydrogen bonding, and previously verified through FT-IR St-PVP30 2200±80c 36.00±1.40d 64.00±1.40c

analysis, had resulted in an increase of the cohesive energy density of St-PVP40 3800±100d 48.00±0.10e 52.00±0.12d

the final material. This last one causes a decrease in oxygen permea- Table 3: Swelling and solubility in water for St and St-based films.
bility values, which means that the incorporation of PVP, in any con- Note: Means in each column with different superscript letters are significantly differ-
centration under study, improved the starch film oxygen permeability ent (p<0.05).
[44].

Swelling kinetics and solubility tests
The swelling kinetics and solubility studies of the materials are
an important tool in the characterization of the level of incorporation
of PVP in St matrix [22,45]. Figure 4 shows swelling kinetic curves
extracted from starch and starch-based film samples. From these re-
sults, it can be observed that there is a growth in the amount of water
absorbed by the material as a function of time, reaching equilibrium
after 6hrs. During the initial stages, the solvent molecules come into
contact with polymer chains, increasing its volume and mass. In this
way, the presence of PVP increases the capacity of the films to absorb
water significantly, expanding the hydrophilicity of the material. This
is due to the presence of functional groups, capable of favouring the
hydration process through the hydrogen bonds between the polymer
network and water.
As the proportion of PVP gets higher in the films, the water ab-
sorption capacity increases as shown in table 3. This behaviour occurs
together with the polymer chemical structure, where the interaction
between starch and PVP generates a three-dimensional network cross
linked through hydrogen bonds by hydroxyl groups and through
weak intermolecular interactions between the hydrophobic sides, due
to the presence of C-H chains. This behaviour transforms the films
into superabsorbent materials with a high swelling capacity reaching
a value equal to 48% for 60/40 ratio. This is mainly influenced by the The blends produced were compatible in a whole range of studied
J Food Sci Nutr ISSN: 2470-1076, Open Access Journal
DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100035
Moreover, due to the loss of material in swelling tests, the solubil-
ity of the film samples was studied. Figure 4 shows solubility kinetic
experiments for the films, which evidence behaviour similar to the
observed one in the swelling experiments. The solubility increases
considerably during the first hours of contact and stabilizes after 6hrs,
almost reaching its equilibrium. An increase of solubility of the films
was observed with the addition of PVP in the samples, showing val-
ues from 28% for St-PVP20 film reaching a 48% value for St-PVP40
film. This behaviour is mainly influenced by the high solubility of
PVP in water, which is over the intermolecular interactions between
St and PVP. Furthermore, a gel fraction was obtained and these results
are reported in table 3.
From the solubility and swelling results for films, it can be pos-
sible to note that the gel fraction for St-PVP10 is closed to the value
for the starch film, reaching a lower loss of material by solubility with
higher starch content. Nevertheless, a high proportion of PVP in the
mixture favours its swelling, also generating a greater solubility in
water.
Conclusion
The incorporation of PVP in the sweet native corn starch matrix
improved the physical properties of the starch in the developed films.
Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 100035

Citation: Alvarado N, Urdaneta J, Figueroa JRR, de Dicastillo CL, Schmidt M, et al. (2018) Improvement of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Films by Blend-
ing it with Poly(N-Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidone). J Food Sci Nut 4: 036.
concentrations, which could be observed through the shift from the
Tg values for PVP of the films starch-based to the Tg value for pure
PVP. In general, SEM images showed less homogeneous films as in-
corporation of PVP increases in the films.
The FT-IR analysis evidenced the PVP incorporation through the
visualization of their characteristic bands and confirmed the interac-
tion between the components by means of bands displacement ca-
pable to form strong interactions. These interactions resulted in im-
provements of the mechanical properties, where the resistance of the
films was increased.
Furthermore, the measurement of oxygen permeability for the
films evidenced an expected behaviour of the barrier properties,
which show a decrease in the values of the starch-based films because
of the nature of the incorporated polymer. In this sense, the swelling
and solubility tests showed an increase in these films. These results
can be explained by the nature of the obtained final material, which
involves films with hydrophilic characteristics.
In this study, the incorporation of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) in
different ratios in starch matrix resulted in an attractive final material,
obtaining films with remarkable physical properties and an environ-
mentally-friendly character. However, further research is necessary to
verify their compatibility with real food and storage conditions.
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge the financial support of Project USA
1555 of the University of Santiago De Chile, The Basal Financing
Program for Scientific and Technological Centers of Excellence
(Grant number FB0807).
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